The next significant match paired Ervin against Orion Starfall.
The moment their names appeared together, the arena fell quiet once again. Orion had already fought one of the most exhausting battles of the final competitive stage against Revona, and although the laws of the Eternal Hourglass had stabilized his injuries, no one believed he had fully recovered.
His aura remained weaker than before, and his face still carried a trace of pallor. The star marks on his body no longer shone with the effortless brilliance they had displayed at the start of the final round.
Even so, when he stepped onto the stage, he was still smiling. It was the same bright and almost careless smile that made him look as though nothing in the world could truly spoil his mood.
His armor bore faint cracks from his previous battle, and the wounds beneath it had only recently closed, yet his eyes were clear. He looked across the stage at Ervin and laughed softly.
